Chapter 320

Chapter 320

Following that day, I settled into the Second Black and White Slums, occupying my time in quite a hectic manner.

Was it a thirst for knowledge?

The inquiries from Lucifer were unending, and by the time I addressed them with absolute sincerity, I frequently found myself skipping lunch and dinner.

Yet, missed meals aside, it proved to be a highly fruitful period, all due to Lucifer’s earnest approach to studying.

“Tower Master, I pondered over what you explained to me yesterday, but this specific section…”

Lucifer was not the type of prodigy who could grasp ten concepts after being taught just one.

Even so, whenever a lesson was given, he strained every nerve to comprehend it flawlessly.

In contrast to those who intuitively figured things out on their own, his progress could occasionally feel maddeningly sluggish, yet he absorbed and mastered precisely what he was taught, which rendered instructing him rewarding in its own distinct way.

I wished to remain in the black and white slums indefinitely, passing down knowledge, but regrettably, the circumstances did not permit it.

“Sigh, so in the end, we truly must pull out from the Second Black and White Slums?”

“That is correct.”

“We put so much into this… What a waste. Is there no way to remain? Or perhaps we could bar you from entering and leaving, Aster, and let me handle the rest…”

Evelyn, who had dashed to the Second Black and White Slums the moment she caught wind of the news, let out a succession of heavy sighs, making her deep regret unmistakably clear.

The only thing I could offer her was superficial solace.

Ultimately, Evelyn had no choice but to bow to reality, and that was precisely why I found myself so swamped.

“It can’t be helped. Well then, Aster, lend me a hand.”

“A hand? With what?”

“What else? We need to call in the capital we distributed across the black and white slums. It isn’t just Svetlana; we are entangled with numerous syndicates, so we can’t just smooth this over with polite talk.”

“Are we going to reason with them?”

Were there actually fools bold enough to strike back? I tightened and released my fist at the thought, but Evelyn shook her head.

“It is not quite that dire. However, the moment they realize we are in a rush, a few will try to bleed us dry. We will have to absorb some losses due to pulling our capital so abruptly, but I have no intention of letting them rob us in broad daylight.”

To put it differently, she would yield when it made sense out of courtesy, but she refused to be played for a fool.

It wasn’t the thrilling or terrible scenario I had envisioned, yet I was more than willing to roll up my sleeves and assist Evelyn.

I had no desire to see anyone treat us like simpletons either…

“Aigoo! Not only do you yank your capital without warning, but you can’t even generate that much! We are going to ruin at this rate, Duke! Huh?! What kind of absolute nonsense is this?!”

“Ruin? Are you certain?”

“Night, we are practically dying here! Right when we finally managed to catch our breath, you pull this?! Huh?!”

Their pushback was far more savage than anticipated, leaving me dumbfounded with shock.

This… even with me standing here, if they are prepared to go all out, perhaps the situation truly is that catastrophic?

I was the one caught off guard by his ferocious momentum, but that was precisely when I witnessed Evelyn’s genuine colors.

And what exactly were those genuine colors?

Precisely this.

“Boss, drop the theatrics. Who exactly is dying? And… I took a look at the emergency grain you secured for this past winter. The wheat was priced at 0.1 silver per sack higher than it ought to have been. Isn’t that more than enough to live in luxury?”

“What…? 0.1 silver? What on earth are you blabbering about?! Are you claiming I ripped you off or something?! Is being a fool a crime now?! Huh?! And what can you even accomplish with a measly 0.1 silver per sack?!”

“0.1 silver per sack. Now let’s calculate, just how many sacks of wheat did Pauksen Castle import for relief…?”

“You think you’re quite clever, don’t you? Fine, yes. I overcharged. I got swindled because I’m an idiot! But what does that have to do with you? Why are you tormenting me like this?”

To tell the truth, far more startling than Evelyn’s merciless intimidation was the syndicate boss, who appeared ready to gamble his very life against her… and that was no overstatement.

If he attempted any underhanded tricks, I was fully prepared to shatter his skull.

Regardless, more astonishing than Evelyn was the castle owner rolling his eyes and baring his veins.

However.

“You purchased those wheat sacks for humanitarian relief and received funding from Svetlana, correct?”

“And anyone who needs to know is well aware that the financing came straight out of Grand Duke Musphelron’s personal coffers. So, how exactly should we report this matter to the Grand Duke?”

“What…? The funding came from Grand Duke Musphelron’s own pocket?! What are you doing…? No, Duke! Why are you doing this to me?! After everything we’ve been through together…”

The nameless boss dissolved into tears in an instant. Yet Evelyn didn’t even offer a snort.

“What exactly have we been through? Ah, right, absolutely nothing. I merely assumed we were business associates at the very least…”

“Ehehe, Lady Duke. Why the harshness, eh? Let us sit back down and discuss this a bit further.”

Was this truly the identical fellow who just moments ago behaved as though he were ready to rip bellies open?

The syndicate leader transformed into a submissive lamb in a flash, practically begging Evelyn not to leave.

As Evelyn reluctantly took her seat once more, he questioned her with a face riddled with dread.

“S-so… is it absolute truth that the capital I pocketed actually belonged to Grand Duke Musphelron?”

“Do you comprehend the gravity now? If you botch this, you could face charges for embezzling imperial funds.”

“What… what am I supposed to do…?”

“I happen to have an excellent fix. Would you care to hear it?”

From that point onward, the negotiation proceeded seamlessly.

Evelyn reclaimed the capital precisely as intended while presenting him with a method to compensate for the diverted funds, and it went so smoothly that I wondered if they had rehearsed a script beforehand.

But one detail bothered me.

Is it true? Did the relief funds actually come from Lord Musphelron’s pocket? I had never caught wind of that.

“Yes. Neither have I. Do you suppose it’s real?”

“Total nonsense?”

“Let us overlook uncomfortable truths. There are numerous matters in this world that are far better left unknown.”

…Utilizing the imperial name in such a reckless fashion?

“Do not fret. The Grand Duke will most likely overlook it with a grin.”

“Is he… that gentle?”

“Naturally. A stuffed purse softens any heart. And right now, I am stuffing the Grand Duke’s purse.”

“…So you instructed him to offer it as an atonement donation…”

“Ahem. At any rate, let us make haste. We have a multitude of locations to drop by today.”

Now I grasped it: the “atonement donation” was settling the bill for her own misdeeds, not the boss’s.

And in that manner, Evelyn traversed the Second Black and White Slums, confronting the syndicate leaders tied to our capital one by one.

Her approach was ruthlessly effective.

“I recognize that times are trying. And since this stems from our own predicament, I shall grant you an extension. Let’s see… this ought to suffice, correct?”

Occasionally, persuading.

“Of course. I comprehend. Having this financing yanked away right now must sting. But look at it from our perspective: we must relocate entirely. How about this instead?”

Occasionally, soothing.

While putting people at ease, she put forward arrangements that pleased both the Magic Tower and the syndicates, resembling a master butcher trimming away the excess fat.

To put it another way… pristine.

Naturally, it wasn’t always peaceful.

“Good evening. You claim I lose? You lose?”

“We both lose.”

“Fine.”

On occasion, unavoidable matters demanded a physical dialogue, and our faces would brighten with grins.

“Getting cash just for delivering a thrashing…”

“What, does this startle you?”

It might be standard routine for a scoundrel like you, but none of that struck me as ordinary.

“And it was our money to begin with.”

Well, that much was true.

In any case, I accompanied Evelyn, scouring the black and white slums to call back our funds.

And I discovered something during the journey: the Magic Tower had amassed far more wealth than I had originally assumed.

“Did we possess… this much money?”

“Is this considered a lot?”

“I assumed we had thrown everything into easing the food shortages and the like, leaving us entirely broke. Weren’t we on the brink of starving to death?”

“We nearly did. Matters turned around once we were designated a domain under Grand Duke Musphelron.”

“Turned around?”

“Yes, can’t you tell?”

Evelyn gestured toward the thoroughfare with a casual wave, and I instantly grasped her meaning.

In short… the Second Black and White Slums had undergone a massive transformation.

This “transformation” stood in stark contrast to the minor enhancements I had observed previously.

No, the trajectory was identical, but the magnitude…

“When… did it alter like this?”

“Quite impressive, eh?”

Evelyn countered my awe-struck question with one of her own, and I could do nothing but nod in agreement.

The second mixed slums had begun to claw back their vitality bit by bit when the Magic Tower erected the orphanage.

Yet deep-seated destitution clung tightly, seemingly impossible to wipe away. Now, the vista stretching before me was prosperous enough that the mere thought of “destitution” failed to cross my mind.

The lanes, which previously were fortunate to see anyone but the locals, were now swarming with merchants, and the youngsters flocking to the ongoing redevelopment initiatives infused a striking vibrancy into the air.

In alternative terms, fresh blood was being pumped into a deceased town.

Warm blood, at that.

“Where crowds assemble, currency flows. And flowing currency multiplies with ease. That is how we offset certain deficits. The identical phenomenon likely occurred for the inhabitants of the Second Black and White Slums. Do you grasp the significance of that?”

I did.

To put it another way…

“You have shattered the cycle.”

“Cycle?”

“Yes, that sort of thing.”

It was challenging to define the exact nature of the cycle.

Yet one detail was undeniable: the population of the black and white slums had been trapped in a toxic loop handed down from one age to the next.

Even so, observing this scene, I could sense it intuitively.

At the very least, the Second Mixed Black and White Slum was entirely liberated from it now.

Granted, the slums would not vanish altogether. Those who squandered their existence on liquor would remain drunkards until the end.

Still, what stirred my emotions was not that.

This was… the faint ideal I had envisioned for the Second Black and White Slums.

“More rapid than I anticipated.”

“Is it disappointing?”

“What?”

“That someone else effortlessly achieved what you labored so intensely for.”

I offered a shrug at the inquiry.

“No.”

A positive outcome was simply positive.

Nevertheless, a stray thought drifted through my mind.

“Had I known… I ought to have purchased some property.”

The values must have gone through the roof.

“Eh? What are you doing?”

“W-why?”

“Why are your shoulders drooping like that?”

“Mine?”

I fixed my gaze on Evelyn.

Then she spoke.

“Let’s move.”

“Where to…?”

“To the Chamber of Truth.”

Truly fulfilling days.

…At least for me.